TOPIC: Beware Brightsides

They look wonderful. Just goes to show you that you don't have to have big bucks in paint. I know my boat will be seeing gravel sand, rocks, boat ramp rash, submerged logs and what ever else. I just don't like the black boat. It shows all the dirt. Sure I'd like to fix one up to show quality. I make due with what I have. I have my ladder racks for my truck needing paint. I don't use them very much but they need paint bad. It will be rustoleum.

Very nice paintwork,bobo.I've had good results with rustoleum too.

I started with Rustoleum Marine paint (and primer) on my Power Cat, but not really knowing what I was doing, did not sand between coats. Then someone suggested I was doing it all wrong, I needed to use Brightsides. So my paint woes began. This is a story that has yet to come to a close, unfortunately for me.

Frank

geez...wonder who suggested that! hehe

PC1000 wrote:

Awfully nice work Bobo, and what a deal on that dually! Good thing yer a handy fellow. I've always been a handy kind of guy too, but never have shot paint. I've done good over the years with rattle can painting, but am about to start with HVLP. 1st project is gonna be some adirondack chairs, then I have an old boat I'm picking up tomorrow just to practice painting with a gun. I'm gonna start with HVLP, but have an old standard gun too. we'll see how it goes. I'll probably be asking lots of questions soon!

Frank

Painting just takes practice .Biggest thing is Prep ,Prep and More prep before you paint . Ya need a decent Air Compresor and water seperator . One cheap trick for us Poor guys .Get a extra compresor tank from a bad compresor you can find them on CL .Plumb your good compresor into it and drawl your air off of the non powered tank .If you push your hot air into a cool tank the water in your air will condensate on the 2nd tank and drop out of your air .Then run a seperator off of that tank and a cheap filter at your gun .IMHO Ild use a Siphon feed gun if its your first time spraying . I think they are more forgiving .Harbor freight has some real Decent spray gun for under $40 .one as low as $25 if on sale and peform as well as $400 Binks guns ive had .If you wanna know the good ones I can post them .Ya gotta make sure you got a gun with the right tip .Never spray outside in Direct sun light .Never shoot Enamel when humidity is High It will dull like crazy .Have a test panel Preped the same as what your spraying .On each coat spray that panel .Then you can touch it to see if your paint has flashed off enought to put the next coat on instead of pokeing at your Job .And if you get it looing good LEAVE IT ALONE ..Shut the lights off and walk away ..L.O.L..Dont know how many times Ild keep walking in to check a job and kick up some dirt into it or Have a Bug come flying in and crash land on it .They always got to crawl around to ...L.O.L..The paint will dry weather or not you keep coming in to stare at it . AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE spend some money on a GOOD resperator and a Tyvec suit .Tyvec Ive seen on Ebay for less than $20 . 3M resperator with Charcoal Filters $35 .Isnt $55 worth your LIFE ? Sorry if Im sounding like a Smart Butt .Just trying to throw up a few tips for Newby Painters . Just one other thought ..Most paints can be made to look decent if applied right in the right conditions .Often a Job takes a crap and we blame the paint .All paint has limitations . I think thats why some people will swear by a paint while others swear at it . Ya just have to learn each paint .First time I sprayed Croma One Dupont (( A single stage urethane ) It was on a Harley Tank .It cost around $400 a gallon then Pluss Hardners .First coat I shot like I was use to Then flashed it and sprayed the 2nd and 3rd .came back in to check it and it ran SSSOOOO Bad I had more paint on the floor than my parts ...L.O.L..Ended up wet sanding it and reshooting . Boss man was None to happy about waisting $200 or more in paint Pluss labor to redo ..L.O.L..Then I learned to spray it .You shot the first coat so dry it looked like sand paper and My Tip on my gun was way to big .Then let it flash off alot longer than I was use to .Shooting 2nd over a real dry coat made the thinner melt into the dry and kept it from running .After learning it it became one of my favorites .Dam Price thow .My point is we can have the best of the best and still screw it up Or shoot what others call Crap and make it look decent .Ya just have to find what you can afford and learn the paint .EVERYBODY has a disaster if ya paint enought . Just learn from them .

Thanks for the tips bobo, I sure do appreciate the advice. I'm good on the compressor set-up, using an old 60 gallon tank from a 220 compressor I used to have that kept throwing rods. Plus it was so blasted loud you couldn't hear yourself think. I got a smaller, quieter one and plumbed it to my old tank.

I get these 3M masks from the guys at NAPA that are only good for 14 days, not one day longer, kinda like a poor man's positive air system. I bet I could get tyvek suits there too. I'll at least check. I get an employee discount, keeps costs down. Plus I've known both the top guys in the regional NAPA paint shop a long time and "bug" them continually. I think they get a kick out of some of the crap I put myself through, but they have both been a big help as I try and get this act swingin.

I've got both gravity feed and hvlp guns, both cheap, both never used. I made sure the HVLP guns were compatible with my air set up too.

I'll look at your post closer tomorrow when I'm more "with it." This has been a heck of a day and I'm done!

Thanks again for the help.

Frank

Goes on the other side of the electrical box, then comes out about a couple feet.



Goes across the ceiling dropping towards the compressor.

Who told you that Rustoleum products were the wrong thing to use? Rustothane is excellent polyurethane. I've used Imron for thirty years and I'm using Rustothane on my Seafair. Rustothane shoots with multiple thinnewr coats, unlike Imron, but gives the same finish. I'm very pleased with it. I'm also using Rustoleum Industrial epoxy primer. The price is DEFINITELY right!

As far as the below the waterline thing goes... I have always used automotive paint on boats. I've always used a 2 part urethane, sometimes with a clearcoat, sometimes without. I use my boats, not just drop them in the water at a show once every three months for a loop around the show area, and I use them hard. Skiing, wake jumping, beaching on sand, gravel, and shell. I have NEVER had any paint to bubble, peel, crack, turn loose, discolor, etc below the waterline. Not even on my yellow and white Lonestar which is painted with cheap enamel. I hate enamel, but this boat was a quick 2 week build and a cheapie, but eventually turned into the favorite of all my boats. It's seen 3 years of hard use, no waxing, and no special care and still looks like the day I sprayed it.

All of my boats have sat in the water anywhere from 1-5 days at a time, from 15-20 occassions per year. But, I do NOT know how well automotive paints would hold up below the waterline on a boat that is in the water day in and day out for weeks at a time. I tend to believe that if you are using the boat for weekend use and not permanantly moored in the water you will be fine with a good automotive finish as long as it's applied properly. Just my 2 cents!

Oh, the comment about the boat show thing.. That was not pointed at anyone, just an example, so please no one take any offense.

mtdoragary wrote:

Who told you that Rustoleum products were the wrong thing to use? Rustothane is excellent polyurethane. I've used Imron for thirty years and I'm using Rustothane on my Seafair. Rustothane shoots with multiple thinnewr coats, unlike Imron, but gives the same finish. I'm very pleased with it. I'm also using Rustoleum Industrial epoxy primer. The price is DEFINITELY right!

Well if youve worked at a High $$ Body Shop Rustoleum is what you painted the Dumpster with .If you told them you painted Your Camaro with it ..Yould always here about it .Dupont B/C in that yellow would probaully cost you better than $500 pluss thinner . Then dont forget about the CC .When I left the shop and went into Nursing I finnaly had some free time for awhile to work on that car but Money was low .So I went to Wall Mart and bought 4 quarts of Sun Burst Yellow and a can of Xytol Pluss some Valspar Hardner .Total about $45 at the time .After it cured well I wet sanded it down to 1500 and buffed the crap out of it ..Be honest I shocked myself how good the paint looked and everybody thinks it looks great .Now I do CMA /Med Tech work part time and paint stuff at home for people and myself . Would I shoot Rustoleum on a car headed for Baret Jackson ?? Hell No ..A fun cruiser that turns heads ? If I was low on cash You bet .But if I can get Single Stage urethane at like TCP Global for a little over a $100 .Ild go that route .

classicfins wrote:

As far as the below the waterline thing goes... I have always used automotive paint on boats. I've always used a 2 part urethane, sometimes with a clearcoat, sometimes without. I use my boats, not just drop them in the water at a show once every three months for a loop around the show area, and I use them hard. Skiing, wake jumping, beaching on sand, gravel, and shell. I have NEVER had any paint to bubble, peel, crack, turn loose, discolor, etc below the waterline. Not even on my yellow and white Lonestar which is painted with cheap enamel. I hate enamel, but this boat was a quick 2 week build and a cheapie, but eventually turned into the favorite of all my boats. It's seen 3 years of hard use, no waxing, and no special care and still looks like the day I sprayed it.

All of my boats have sat in the water anywhere from 1-5 days at a time, from 15-20 occassions per year. But, I do NOT know how well automotive paints would hold up below the waterline on a boat that is in the water day in and day out for weeks at a time. I tend to believe that if you are using the boat for weekend use and not permanantly moored in the water you will be fine with a good automotive finish as long as it's applied properly. Just my 2 cents!

Oh, the comment about the boat show thing.. That was not pointed at anyone, just an example, so please no one take any offense.

Ive seen some of your boats . You do exceptional Work .Are you a profestional Restorer ?? Ill agree ild rather spray a urethane job .Most guys on here probaully have a wife that looks at every new project that shows up and says ... WHATS THAT GONNA COST TO FIX ? ...If you come home with all your supplys for under $60 MMMMM Shes a bit happier than $500 ...L.O.L..And as my Daddy use to say ... If Mom aint Happy ...Aint nobody Happy ...

I WOULD shoot Rust-o-thane on a car headed for Barrett Jackson. It's just as good as Imron. Limited color choice cabn be gotten around. Just use light base and have any paint supply shop tint it to whatever color you want. They use it on dump trucks because it's tough, like all two-part polyurethanes. The limited color choise is based on the industrial market they serve! If you compare the Rust-o-thane white to the Imron coral on my Seafair, you will see that the Rust-o-thane is smoother and shinier than the Imron!

Boy, what a great thread this has turned out to be! Thanks for all the ideas and tips guys, my head is swimming! Rusto-thane huh?

Bobo, I have a good DA sander, maybe start with that, use stripper in difficult areas to sand? I don't want paint compatibility problems next time around. Also, my wife is open to just having the deck painted by a pro, so I may do the stripping/sanding and see if maybe it's easier to just have somebody do it that's been doing it for decades (like you & Doug). In the meantime, I'll practice on Adirondack chairs and trailer parts...

Frank

bobo wrote:

Ive seen some of your boats . You do exceptional Work .Are you a profestional Restorer ?? Ill agree ild rather spray a urethane job .Most guys on here probaully have a wife that looks at every new project that shows up and says ... WHATS THAT GONNA COST TO FIX ? ...If you come home with all your supplys for under $60 MMMMM Shes a bit happier than $500 ...L.O.L..And as my Daddy use to say ... If Mom aint Happy ...Aint nobody Happy ...

Thanks Bobo.. I just do the boats as a hobby, but I have been doing auto restorations for years now. I know what you mean about momma. I've got a little over $400 total in my little Lone Star and that made her VERY happy. lol

The finish on your Lonestar is what I aspire to for my Power Cat Doug. Darn, I wish we lived closer!

Frank

PC1000 wrote:

Boy, what a great thread this has turned out to be! Thanks for all the ideas and tips guys, my head is swimming! Rusto-thane huh?

Bobo, I have a good DA sander, maybe start with that, use stripper in difficult areas to sand? I don't want paint compatibility problems next time around. Also, my wife is open to just having the deck painted by a pro, so I may do the stripping/sanding and see if maybe it's easier to just have somebody do it that's been doing it for decades (like you & Doug). In the meantime, I'll practice on Adirondack chairs and trailer parts...

Frank

if your going to have it professionally painted, get a price fron Maaco. ain't nobody gunna do it cheaper unless its a friend, and just the deck shouldn't be more than $300. and baking it in the oven makes it hard as nails. mine is 6 yrs. old now and the finish hasn't dulled one bit. i wax it once a year with mcquires whether it needs it or not. i think the key to any marine paint is keeping it protected from the sun when not in use. ron

I used an Imron knock off on my deck, but it has the pearl effect, so no buffing here. Also no clear, it doesn't need it.

I painted the hull with bright sides temporarily until I could flip it and do it right. The paint seems soft, but it was never prepped right, so I don't want to make a judgement based on that.

I get the impression that Brightsides is a decent enough paint primarily made for the do it yourself market. As Bobo says, any paint can be made to look good with a little learning curve. Some paints are softer than others though and you have to stick with one thing and use the right products that go with it.

Some seem to mention using hardener with Brightsides? Not sure that they recommend one, so what to use?

I think I'd try that Rust-o-thane or whatever two part urethane my brother in law is selling. I'm kind of lucky that he runs an auto store paint shop, so I'll just go with whatever he says.

If I had to do it myself I would just do the research and practice on some scrap pieces like Frank is going to do.

Great thread though...thanks...

The problem with Brightsides Dave, is that once it's on, you can't wet sand it even with 2000 grit! Soon as you sand it, you're done. The Interlux VC Performance I used on the hull is a two part epoxy I brushed on, then could wet sand to a smooth gloss almost indistinguishable from white gel coat. I like stuff you can wet sand and buff. If I had any idea I was not able to do that with Brightsides I would have never used it. You live and learn, even if it is painful from time to time!

Frank

Frank just wet sand that boat down , seal it up with epoxy primer and shoot that Bitch yourself .Dont let her get the best of you . You can do it ...When you can stand back and look at a nice paint job YOU DID it will make you feel Great .Stuff just took a dump on you this time and youve learned .Please dont take this the wroung way but I could have sworn you had pics on here of you guys painting it outside in the sun .That was begging for disaster .Most paints wont like being put on a Hot surface at all .The top will skim over and dry to fast and you keep solvents that need to flash off trapped underneith that layer .Not to mention Bugs dust and dirt .I did that a few time out of nesecity and ended up with enought dirt in there to plant corn ...L.O.L..Get that girl prepped , Clean the crap out of your shop 3 times ..Watch the weather channel for a day with low dew point and humidity Pray to the GODS of paint for Good Karma and spray her Then protect the door so people dont come in to screw it up .Alot of people wet thier floor down before they spray to keep dust down . That can cause humidity when the floor is drying and your spraying .So hose it down the day before . You can do it Frank and youll be proud ..
Heres my other current project besides the Delmar . A 56 Chevy Step Side to tow a 56 Delmar ..So far its been blasted , Lowered 5 inchs ,Camaro Posi rear installed and Camaro 12 inch Disc brakes in the front .Most of the Mud work is done so Im getting there .

Man o man, do you do nice work bobo. And a vintage truck to tow a vintage boat. Same colors, coordinated trailer too? I love those years trucks. I had one just like that, but a '55 GMC, back in the mid-70's. Had the original 288 Pontiac motor in it, great truck, massive front end!

Interlux, Jamestown distributors, other guys that know this Brightsides say you can't spray anything over it, especially anything that is 2 part (like catalyzed 2k urethane). I've been told a number of times it won't work. I was going to experiment, but decided I'd just bite the bullet and strip the paint and do it right. I'll probably try it to see, but am not planning on this being easy. It'll work out better that way.

I am really looking forward to figuring this painting stuff out. I can get Tyvek suits from NAPA for 25 bucks, so I got that covered. I need some new goggles too, but 1st need to do a lot of re-arrangement in my basement, shop and garage to get set up to do this.

Thanks again for the help. Keep up the great work on that truck, she's gonna be a beauty!

Frank